What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

So how do these rank in the Sospiro charts of most played?

I have the Abbado and Gardelli but I think I listen 5-1 respectively... Not just for the power of Verret but also I prefer Cappuccilli and Ghiaurov in the roles of Macbeth and Banco.

What about the Opera in English series?

I have Abbado, Gardelli and Schippers. I'm partial to the Gardelli because of Elena Suliotis, but also love Dietrich Fisher-Dieskau as Macbeth - and it, too, features Nicolai Ghiaurov as Banquo. I like Schippers' conducting and, of course, Nilsson as Lady M. Verrett's Lady is beautiful, but not quite edgy enough to my taste - maybe because Shirley Verrett was a mezzo, whose sound may be too rich for Lady Macbeth.

I've listened to them all several times over now. I've lost count of the times I've heard the Muti as this was my first bought because of my Carreras completist obsession.

It's fascinating how many people love this opera but their favourite varies from person to person.

I normally adore any Verdi conducted by Gardelli but if I'd listened to this one first I may well have thought that Macbeth wasn't for me and put it back on the shelf. Who knows what path my life would have taken if I'd heard this first. I certainly wouldn't have gone to the Macbeth Insight at ROH and heard Lukas Jakobski sing "Studia il passo, o mio figlio! … Come dal ciel precipita". A day I will never forget.

Sorry Hoffmann but I didn't like DFD at all. My second least favourite is the Sinopoli, didn't like the balance. I very much like the Abbado but my two absolute favourites are the Muti and the Chailly.

The Muti wins by a whisker because of Milnes, Raimondi and Carreras.

I haven't mentioned Lady M. as it's irrelevant to me who sings the role. I'm rarely interested in female roles.

[Clayton]

The Muti recording with Milnes has just climbed 48 positions on my wishlist.

I also want to hear the Molinari-Pradelli with Milnes and Arroyo; I liked the interview in the June Opera magazine with Arroyo where she says she would discuss for hours with her buddy Milnes about Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and who they were. That sort of passion must have given a great performance.

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

The Muti recording with Milnes has just climbed 48 positions on my wishlist.

I also want to hear the Molinari-Pradelli with Milnes and Arroyo; I liked the interview in the June Opera magazine with Arroyo where she says she would discuss for hours with her buddy Milnes about Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and who they were. That sort of passion must have given a great performance.

What a great story!

I also love the cover of the Muti but then I often buy the classic EMI box set just because I like the cover/box. Shallow, I know!









Hehe!!

[Hoffmann]

What a great story!

I also love the cover of the Muti but then I often buy the classic EMI box set just because I like the cover/box. Shallow, I know!









Hehe!!

I'll have to add the Muti Macbeth to my wish list, but now find myself fascinated by how the Treigle/Rudel Mefistofele compares to my Ramey/Patane Mefistofele. The Forza with Gardelli also looks like a good one to have.

[Clayton]

After all this talk of Macbeth, where does Clayton next goes to?

Yes, I would have thought so too.

However still stuck in baroque era.

Monteverdi: L'incoronazione di Poppea
Naples manuscript version
Emanuela Galli (Poppea), Roberta Mameli (Nerone), Josè Maria Lo Monaco (Ottone), Xenia Meijer (Ottavia), Ian Honeyman (Arnalta) & Raffaele Costantini (Seneca)
La Venexiana,
Claudio Cavina
Recorded in the Church of San Carlo, Modena, Italy September 2009



favourite opera in the whole wide,wide world

[Clayton]

Cavalli: La Rosinda
Emanuela Galli (Nerea), Francesca Lombardi Mazzulli (Rosinda), Makoto Sakurada (Clitofonte), Nicola Ebau (Thisandro / Pluto / Meandro), Fulvio Bettini (Rudione), Silvia Vajente (Proserpina / Aurilla), Milena Storti (Cilena) & Roberto Romagnino (Vafrillo)
Ensemble La Sfera Armoniosa,
Mike Fentross

[Clayton]

I started today with

Handel: Rodelinda
Simone Kermes (Rodelinda), Marijana Mijanovic (Bertarido), Sonia Prina (Eduige), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Unolfo), Steve Davislim (Grimoaldo), Vito Priante (Garibaldo)
Il Complesso Barocco,
Alan Curtis
Recorded San Martino al Cimino, Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, Sala Olimpia Sep/2004; Hamburg-Harburg, Friedrich-Ebert-Halle, Nov/2004



I want to visit the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj; nice place to call your office.

[Clayton]

Gretry: Guillaume Tell
Marc Laho (William Tell), Anne-Catherine Gillet (Lady Tell), Lionel Lhote (Gesler), Liesbeth Devos (Mary), Natacha Kowalski (Young Tell), Patrick Delcour (Melktal), Stefan Cifolell (Young Melktal), Roger Joakim (The Traveler)
Orchestre et Choeurs de l'Opéra Royal de Wallonie,
Claudio Scimone
Recorded June 2013, Opéra royal de Wallonie, Liège



- - - Updated - - -

Opéra royal de Wallonie looks a very pretty opera house.



Though in this picture it looks very small (or they drive very big cars in Belgium)



Only a short train journey from London... and ticket prices max EUR 90.

I wonder how much the train is...

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

Opéra royal de Wallonie looks a very pretty opera house.



Though in this picture it looks very small (or they drive very big cars in Belgium)



Only a short train journey from London... and ticket prices max EUR 90.

I wonder how much the train is...

Only one way to find out.

[Clayton]

Only one way to find out.

Have you been to this opera house before?

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

Have you been to this opera house before?

No but after seeing your post I wouldn't mind going. I have a friend who goes all over Europe and I'll ask him if he's been.

[Clayton]

Gluck: Iphigénie en Tauride
Mireille Delunsch, Simon Keenlyside, Yann Beuron, Laurent Naouri, Alexia Cousin
Choeur des Musiciens du Louvre, Les Musiciens du Louvre,
Marc Minkowski
Live recording Maison de Radio France, Studio 104, March 1999

[Clayton]

Cavalli: Artemisia
Francesca Lombardi Mazzulli (Artemisia), Roberta Mameli (Artemia), Valentina Coladonato (Oronta), Maarten Engeltjes (Meraspe), Andrea Arrivabene (Alindo), Marina Bartoli (Ramiro), Silvia Frigato (Eurillo), Salvo Vitale (Indamoro), Alberto Allegrezza (Erisbe) & Alessandro Giangrande (Niso)
La Venexiana, Claudio Cavina
Recorded in Mondovì (Sala Ghisleri), Italy, in October 2010

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Cavalli: Artemisia
Francesca Lombardi Mazzulli (Artemisia), Roberta Mameli (Artemia), Valentina Coladonato (Oronta), Maarten Engeltjes (Meraspe), Andrea Arrivabene (Alindo), Marina Bartoli (Ramiro), Silvia Frigato (Eurillo), Salvo Vitale (Indamoro), Alberto Allegrezza (Erisbe) & Alessandro Giangrande (Niso)
La Venexiana, Claudio Cavina
Recorded in Mondovì (Sala Ghisleri), Italy, in October 2010

Would you recommend those two Cavallis, Clayton? I had them in my cart and then took them out...

[Clayton]

Would you recommend those two Cavallis, Clayton? I had them in my cart and then took them out...

La Rosinda no, at least not yet. Despite having Emanuela Galli . I found it fractured and difficult to follow but I will come back to it soon.

Artemisia yes. I think the modern word to describe it would be "Lush". It has some beautiful songs and I would describe the music as somewhere between La Calisto and M's L'incoronazione and is the Cavalli I was looking for... and of course the cast is superb too, including Mameli countertenor Maarten Engeltjes